


Reflection

by opalitegalaxy



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Commander the german shepard, Destroy Ending, Domestic Bliss, F/M, Fluff, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 16:24:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15392718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opalitegalaxy/pseuds/opalitegalaxy
Summary: Shepard adjusts to a quiet life with old friends and a new one.





	Reflection

**Author's Note:**

> Featuring: a German Shepard called "Commander".  
> I can't relate to kid-fics, so here's this.

Jane Shepard had always known civilian life wouldn't suit her.

From birth to adolescence, she'd been aboard starships with her parents, endeared by the unpredictability of the military lifestyle. By 13, she'd vowed to serve the Alliance in some way, and when she held a pistol for the first time at 17, she'd made up her mind. By 27, she was enrolled in the N7 program, and by 31 she was given command of her own ship.

If she'd died during the war, she would have left the world with not a single regret. There were mistakes along the way, words that could no longer be taken back and lives that were impossible to preserve, but looking at the bigger picture... Shepard could've died happily knowing her thirty-seven precious years of life were spent doing what she loved. Serving humanity. Fighting. Toppling an empire build on violent destruction. Dying for a noble cause.

_How morbid._

But with the vigilance of Admiral Hackett and the talents of the best medical technicians the galaxy had to offer, she'd been retrieved from the brink once again and walked away with little more than some nerve damage and new scars to proudly add to her collection. The universe had offered her a third chance, and she grabbed it with both hands, swearing not to squander it.

Shepard took to the civilian routine with joy instead, settled in the rural outskirts of Canada; a cute little cabin with an acre of nothingness surrounding it was just what she needed. A little colder than she'd prefer, but the perpetually-warm body that curled around her every night helped with that issue significantly.

And, of course, the other, slightly smaller warm body that pottered around in front of her, gleefully rolling in the piles of snow that the recent storm had brought in. Perky, triangular ears were the only part of her that gave away her hiding place.

"Really, Commander? I just bathed you last night," Kaidan sighed from her left, frowning in obvious disapproval. Not that the canine understood - or would've paid him much mind even if she did.

"Looks like she's turning out to be quite a handful, huh," Shepard snickered, voice muffled from underneath the thick scarf wrapped snugly around her mouth and nose. "She's still adjusting. Couldn't have been easy living in a war zone for so long, don't know how she did it."

"Same way you did, I guess," Kaidan shrugged, casually tossing his arm over Shepard's shoulder. "Just, you know, with less guns."

Jane smiled at that, admitting that she and the boisterous German Shepard were indeed somewhat kindred spirits. They'd both been through hell, faced the enemy head-on, and only survived by virtue of being slippery little bastards with a fierce will to live. Shepard was certainly not a crier, but could've easily bawled the first time they'd met; patches of fur had been burnt from the dog's skin, and her ribs were prominent from malnutrition, but by some miracle, no major injury or illness was found. She was a fighter, no doubt, and Shepard fell in love. All the sweet pup needed was lots of love, attention, and careful nurturing. Kaidan and herself had plenty of that to spare.

The two eventually wandered back to the cabin, Commander falling in line with their leisurely pace, only to find a certain blue figure nervously pacing the patio, wrapped up even more tightly than Jane was.

"There you are!" Liara yelled, dashing over to the couple as fast as she was able with all the thick, woollen clothes weighing her down. "I was about to s-send out a s-search party. Where on earth have you b-been?"

"Sorry, Liara. We got a little sidetracked. Just enjoying the peace, you know?" Shepard reached out to rub at the asari's arms vigorously, the heat generated negligible but the gesture still one of care. "Go inside before you freeze to death and tell everyone to get started without us. We're just gonna wait and make sure Commander goes to the bathroom once more before we hunker down for the evening."

Liara gratefully took the opportunity to retreat back into the cabin, warmed by the heating system and multiple bodies crowded inside. Shepard observed them through the glass doors, the small kitchen a hub of activity as plates and cutlery were passed around and arranged on the table. It was surreal, a scene from her daydreams that kept her going in the darkest times come to life. Like something off a damn postcard, it was so domestic.

"Thank you, Shepard," Kaidan piped up from beside her, slipping his hand into hers and locking their fingers together. "None of this," he nodded towards the doors, "would've been possible without you."

Shepard shook her head, willing herself to take her eyes off her friends for just a moment to look at him. "Don't say that, Kaidan. We all gave a part of ourselves for this. We owe them as much as they owe us."

"Don't downplay it. You know for a fact that we wouldn't have got half as far as we did if you weren't around to bash people's heads together and reprimand politicians like children."

"Only the most glamorous assignments for the great Commander Jane Shepard," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "It's pointless dwelling on it now. It's over. We won. That's the important thing."

Kaidan nodded in agreeance, joining her in observing their friends for a while longer. There was time for more moments like this - so much more time - but it was policy now to savor them individually as they came, each treated as though they were the last. The reaper threat was gone, but fate was a fickle thing and neither were willing to tempt it. Leaning up, she goaded him into a short kiss, smoothly evading his attempts to prolong it and instead tugging him by the arm up the patio steps.

"Come on. We wait any longer and there'll be nothing left for Commander, and you know she'll never forgive us for it."

"Perish the thought."


End file.
